'Door is slammed shut': Aspiring socialite George Mickum expelled from Manhattan high society for selling fake Hermes Birkin bags
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: 'Guest of a Guest' writer and real estate agent, George Mickum, an aspiring New York socialite, was thrown out of Manhattan's elite society for allegedly selling them fake Hermes Birkin bags and setting up a fake appointment for his friend to purchase one of the coveted handbags. The door has been locked behind Mickum as New York's elite try to keep him out of all events and push places like the Polo Bar to do the same.
Mickum has been accused of selling duplicate Hermes Birkins, which typically cost $25,000 and are usually seen on the Kardashians. Mickum has refuted the accusations, calling them "absurd and false," according to Page Six. He was also charged with selling fake jewelry to a woman that he claimed was worth $500,000, with its original worth being $100,000. according to Avenue Magazine. "The door is slammed shut! People are blocking him on Instagram, social media, blocking his emails, his phone numbers. Nobody seriously social or with substance is talking to him," a source informed Page Six.
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'The appointment did not exist'
Hannah Stella, a former friend of his, revealed on TikTok that Mickum allegedly sent her a false appointment two summers ago with Michael Coste, the head of VIP sales at Hermes Paris. Stella discovered that there had never been an appointment when she showed up. She alleged on the well-known social media platform that "George sent me to that appointment and that appointment did not exist. So I emailed Michael and he said he didn't know who George was." Stella expressed shock and mortification at her friend, with whom she had dinner every Monday, for doing this and leaving her "crying in the Hermes store."
According to Page Six, the grifter used his mother Sally A. Painter's connections to get into Manhattan's elite society, but the same connections are now blocking him. According to an individual who spoke to Page Six, "Society is asking everyone to even name their [plus ones], so he can’t slip in." Another source claimed that in an effort to keep him out of social hotspots including the Polo Bar, Zero Bond, and Aman, they had informed them of our report.
A representative from Madison Avenue Couture's bag verifiers confirmed to Jezebel via email, many ladies have been scammed by Mickum. However, Mickum has not been sued by any of his customers for selling them fake designer goods.
Who is George Mickum?
According to a 2012 WTOP story on his fashion consultancy services, born in Washington, D.C., and the son of Sally Painter, former senior Bill Clinton adviser, Mickum used his mother's contacts in the city to start clothing "ambassadors and other D.C. heavyweights." His most recent position on LinkedIn is labeled as "PR and sales," which is oddly not very specific.
Considering she served as a top counselor to the President in the 1990s, Mickum's mother has contacts with the Clinton family. Utilizing his mother's affiliations, the would-be socialite visited several events from Art Basel to Aspen while claiming to be friends with the Kardashians, princes, and princesses. He also allegedly claimed to survive entirely on champagne and caviar.
When Page Six approached Mickum, he responded, "No comment. I appreciate you reaching out, but unfortunately, I have nothing to say."